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Looking for a great DAC for my Airport Express....

Hello all,
I'm looking for a DAC around $1000 to link my Apple Airport Express to my Unison Research S2K integrated amp. Right now I'm using an Audience Conductor mini plug to rca interconnect straight from the Airport Express, but I know I can do better. The Airport Express has a Toslink, Mini headphone plug, or USB outputs.
Right now I've been thinking about a Bel Canto Dac 2 using it's Toslink input, or perhaps a PS Audio Digital Link III using it's USB input. Other's that I've thought about are the Wavelength Brick, and Musical Fidelity XDacV3.
I'd like something small and unobtrusive as I live in a NYC apartment. And I'd prefer something with multiple inputs (ruling out the Wavelength), so I can try connecting my Meridian 596 DVD and see if I can improve the sound there also.
Any ideas would be appreciated. I'd prefer not to spend over $1000, but we all know how that goes.
Thanks,
Glen.
g_goodwin
g_goodwin OP
18 posts
 
Wow, I did not know that. I always thought a USB port was a USB port? Isn't it just transferring digital data, whether it be for a printer, or for a dac?
And nobody has mentioned the Bel Canto Dac 2 yet. This Dac has had such rave reviews, even beating out the 47 Labs Shigaraki in the 6moons review.
sfar's avatar
sfar
1,758 posts
 
G_goodwin, you're right, a USB port is a USB port but the USB specifications are about the mechanical and electrical properties of the connection, not the kind of data that is sent through the port.
mcmanus
82 posts
 
I tried both the Scott Nixon and the Bel Canto DAC 2 from my Mac via toslink. The difference was night and day with the DAC 2 coming out way ahead. I put the DAC 2 up against my Resolution Audio Opus 21 and the Opus (at 3x the price) was noticeably better.
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